APPLYING TO GRADUATE SCHOOL: AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION IN PSYCHOLOGY
The psychology major provides its students with both a liberal arts education and the opportunity to explore specific areas of psychology in which they have special interests. Graduate education is a process of further refinement during which students become increasingly more proficient and knowledgeable in an areas of psychological specialization. Following are descriptions of 10 specialty areas in psychology that require graduate education. For further information, students may visit the APA student website.
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: Clinical psychologists assess and treat people with psychological problems. They may act as therapists for people experiencing normal psychological crises (e.g. grief) or for individuals suffering from chronic psychiatric disorders (e.g. schizophrenia). They are trained in universities or professional schools of psychology. They may be found working in academic settings, hospitals, community health centers, or private practice.
COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY: Counseling psychologist do many of the same things that clinical psychologist do. However, counseling psychologist tend to focus more on persons with adjustment problems rather then on persons suffering from severe psychological disorders. They may be trained in Psychology Departments or in Schools of Education. Counseling psychologists are employed in academic settings, community mental health centers and private practice.
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: Developmental psychologists study how we develop intellectually, socially and emotionally over the lifespan. Some focus on just one period of life (e.g. childhood or adolescence). Developmental psychologists usually do research and teach in academic settings, but many act as consultants to day care centers, schools, or social services agencies.
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY: Educational psychologists are concerned with the study of human learning. They attempt to understand the basic aspects of learning and then develop materials and strategies for enhancing and learning process. For example, an educational psychologist might study reading and then develop a new technique for teaching reading. They are typically trained in the School of Education and employed in academic settings.
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY: This area includes a diverse group of psychologists who do research in mostly basic areas of psychology (e.g. learning, memory, cognition, perception, motivation and language). Their research may be conducted with animals instead of humans. Most of these psychologists work academically or for research institutes.
HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY: Health psychologists are concerned with psychology’s contributions to the promotion and maintained of good health and the prevention and treatment of illness. They may design and conduct programs to help individuals stop smoking, lose weight, manage stress, and stay physically fit. They are employed in hospitals, medical schools, rehabilitation centers, public health agencies, academic settings, and private practice.
INDUSTRIAL/ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY: Industrial/organization psychologists are primarily concerned with the relationship between people and their work environments. They may develop new ways to increases productivity or be involved in personnel selection. They are employed in business, government agencies and academic settings.
PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY/NEUROPSYCHOLOGY: Physiological psychologists study the physiological correlates of behavior. They study both very basic processes (e.g. how brain cells function) and more readily observable phenomena (e.g. behavioral changes as a function of drug use or the biological/genetic roots of psychiatric disorders). Most are employed in academic settings.
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY: School psychologists are involved in enhancing the development of children in educational settings. They assess children’s psycho educational abilities and recommend actions to facilitate student learning. They often act as consultants to parents, teachers, and administrators to optimize the learning environments of specific students.
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY: Social psychologists study how other persons affect beliefs, feelings, and behaviors. Some topics of interest to social psychologists are attitude formation and change, aggression, prejudice, and interpersonal attraction. Most work in academic settings, but somework in federal agencies and businesses doing applied research.
